Top Ten Tuesday- Spooky Book Titles

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.  This week's topic is: Halloween Freebie.  For this I chose to do: Spooky Book Titles.

⬝ Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

⬝ Before the Devil Breaks You (The Diviners book 3) by Libba Bray

⬝ The Creeper Man/ And The Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich

⬝ The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

⬝ Carnival of Souls (Renamed Carnival of Secrets) by Melissa Marr

⬝ A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

⬝ City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments book 5) by Cassandra Clare

⬝ The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

What are some book titles you think are spooky?

Friday Excerpts: The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

Today I'll be sharing some book excerpts with these bookish features:

➢ Book Beginnings is a weekly feature (hosted by Rose City Reader) where you post the first sentence of the book you're currently reading. 

➢ The Friday 56 is a weekly feature (hosted by Freda's Voice) where you get a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% on ereader) then post a interesting sentence from that page with no spoilers. 

The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

Blurb:

A bewitching, dark and beautiful debut novel about a girl living in the shadow of a mysterious curse. 

It's the accident season, the same time every year. Bones break, skin tears, bruises bloom. 

The accident season has been part of seventeen-year-old Cara's life for as long as she can remember. Towards the end of October, foreshadowed by the deaths of many relatives before them, Cara's family becomes inexplicably accident-prone. They banish knives to locked drawers, cover sharp table edges with padding, switch off electrical items - but injuries follow wherever they go, and the accident season becomes an ever-growing obsession and fear. 

But why are they so cursed? And how can they break free?

Beginning:

1. 

Elsie is in all my pictures.  I know this because I have looked through all the pictures of me and my family taken in the last seventeen years and she is in them all.

Friday 56 (pages 5 to 6):

Even her hair looks worried, somehow, when her head is turned.  That's quite an accomplishment.  I wonder what my hair looks like when my head is turned.

My Thoughts:

I'm only at the beginning of The Accident Season which is why my Friday 56 quote is from pages 5 to 6 but I'm excited to read more of it since I loved the author's other book, Spellbook of the Lost and Found.  I'm liking the writing a lot and I like how mysterious the book is so far.

Have you read The Accident Season? 

What are your thoughts on the quotes from it? 

Halloween Creatures 2.0 Book Tag

I've been seeing this book tag go around and it looked so much fun that I thought I'd do it myself.  The Halloween Creatures tag was created by: Anthony from Keep Reading Forward.

Witch - A Magical Character or Book

Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews -

This is a great urban fantasy series where magic and tech collide and I love how the world is described and the characters are written so well.

Werewolf - The Perfect Book to Read at Night 

Vicious (The Villains book 1) by V.E Schwab -

I think the whole atmosphere of this book really suits being read at night.

Frankenstein - A Book that Truly Shocked You

The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven -

I was really shocked at how much I loved this book.

The Devil - A Dark, Evil Character

Arobynn (Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas) - 

If you've read Throne of Glass you'll know just how much of an evil character Arobynn is.

Grim Reaper - A Character that Should Never Have Died

Mockingjay (The Hunger Games book 3) by Suzanne Collins - 

I'm not going to say the name of the character/s for spoiler reasons but I think you could guess who I'm referring too.

Zombie - A Book that Made You “Hungry” for More

Heart of Mist (The Oremere Chronicles book 1) by Helen Scheuerer -

I read this book at the start of this year and loved it so much, I couldn't wait for the next one and since then I've also read the second which was just as great as the first and now I'm so excited for the third book in the series.

Gargoyle - A Character that You Would Protect at All Cost

Illium (Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh) -

Almost all the characters in the Guild Hunter series are amazing but I really love Illium.  

Vampire - A Book that Sucked the Life Out of You

Toil & Trouble : 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft by various authors - 

I was excited to read this book because I thought it'd be perfect for Halloween but I ended up DNFing it, I didn't feel attached to any of the stories and I've now realised that anthologies are not really my thing.  

Ghost - A Book that Still Haunts You

Unwind by Neal Shusterman -

I loved this series but it is set in such a scary world and that's why it's so haunting.

Demon - A Book that Really Scared You

The Diviners series by Libba Bray - 

I don't think I was prepared for how scary this book was, it has an incredible atmosphere to it.  It's an amazing series.

Skeleton - A Character You Have a Bone to Pick With

Danny (That Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven) - 

I really disliked the way he treated Izzy throughout the book. 

Mummy - A Book You Would Preserve Throughout Time

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid -

I was going to choose Harry Potter for this question but I decided to go for something I read recently.  Evelyn Hugo is such an amazing character and I cannot praise this book enough.

Creepy Doll - A Cover too Scary to Look At

Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - 

Even though this series isn't as scary as it first seems, the pictures on the covers and inside the books definitely are.

The Monster Mash

It’s Fun to Be with Friends on Halloween!

Tag Your Friends! 

I'm not going to tag anyone since it's already close to Halloween anyway.  This was a very fun tag to do! 

What do you think of my choices? What are some books or characters you would choose for some of the questions?

Top Ten Tuesday- Memorable Villains

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.  This week's topic is: Memorable Villains.

Roland - Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews

Scythe Goddard - Scythe series by Neal Schusterman

Arobynn - Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas

Queen Levana - The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Valentine - The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

President Snow - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

What are some of your most memorable villains?

DIY Spooky Harry Potter Themed Bookmarks

I decided to try my hand at making some DIY spooky bookmarks and to be honest it didn't turn out as well as I hoped.  I only made two bookmarks and they are both Harry Potter themed.  

Here are some of the things I used (and I did use watercolour paint which I don't know is the greatest thing to use on a bookmark since it makes it curl up and the colour could rub off but I like the effect it gives):

For the first bookmark I painted the bookmark to look like a brick wall. I probably could've done a little better at this.

Then I wrote on it, with a red marker, the words 'Enemies of the heir...BEWARE'. I then went over the bottom of the words with some red paint to make it look like it was (kinda) dripping.

Onto bookmark number 2.  I painted this bookmark orange to go with the Halloween theme then waited for it to dry.  I then used a thin black marker to make spider webs in each corner of the bookmark. 

Then I wrote the quote 'Follow the spiders' on it and dotted some tiny spiders on the bookmark.  

I hole punched the top of the bookmark.  I then used some white thread to tie a plastic spider decoration to the top.

These bookmarks are not the greatest and not very original but I had fun making them and I think they're great to use for Instagram pictures.  They are also easy and quick to do. 

  

What do you think?

  

Book Review: What If It's Us by Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli

Book: What If It's Us

Author: Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli

Genre: YA Contemporary
(Edition: ARC/ Book Proof)

Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it. 

Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things. 

But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them? 

Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated. 

Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited. 

But what if they can’t quite nail a first date . . . or a second first date . . . or a third? 

What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work . . . and Ben doesn’t try hard enough? 

What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play? 

But what if it is?

My Rating: 3/5 STARS

My Review:

I've loved all of Adam Silvera's previous books, I haven't read any of Becky Albertalli books but I've heard only good things about them, so I was really excited to read What If It's Us but I was disappointed by it.

This book has a somewhat simple concept, it's about two boys who meet randomly and the obstacles they face having to meet up again.  I did enjoy this book at the beginning and I liked how Ben and Arthur met but as the book went on I kept waiting for something else to happen in the story.  And even at the end when things were happening, it all felt very over dramatised and the reactions of the characters felt the same.

I felt the same way about the characters as I did the storyline.  I liked them at the beginning but as the book went on I started to dislike them.  I felt their whole personality was based on just one thing and that made them feel a bit flat in my opinion, Arthur loved the theatre and Broadway so I found his actions and reactions to be overly dramatic and I felt the same way about Ben.  Ben had a bad break up and I felt that everything he said or did was geared around that break up.

The romance between Arthur and Ben became serious very quickly.  One minute they were on a cutesy funny first date then the next they were having a huge fight as if they had known each other for years.  And because of this I thought there was no real depth to their relationship.

I did really like the writing of this book.  It felt like such an easy book to read, I flew through the pages. 

Overall I have very mixed feelings on What If It's Us, I liked some parts and disliked other parts.  I liked the writing mainly but didn't feel attached to the characters that much.  Although I did find the ending predictable I did think it suited the book. 

Scary Creatures in Books

The Passage by Justin Cronin - Virals
‣ Vampire/ zombie like creatures
‣ Only come out at night

Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - Hollowgasts and Wights
‣ Creepily described 
‣ Hunts down peculiar children

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant - Killer Mermaids
‣ Killer mermaids
‣ Feast on human flesh

Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward - Lessers
‣ Have no soul
‣ Undead creatures who have comitted terrible crimes in their past

The Host by Stephenie Meyer - Souls/Alien Species
‣ Take over people's bodies
‣ Wipe out humans from the world

What are some creatures in books you find scary? 

Spookathon TBR 2018

I don't usually participate in many readathons but I heard about the Spookathon and thought I'd join in since I'm planning on reading a few spooky books this month.  The Spookathon (you can find out more about it here) is a weeklong readathon that runs from 15th - 21st of October and there are five challenges.

1. Read a thriller - The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich 

I don't know if this book is a thriller or not, it seems to be a bit of a mix of genres but the blurb has a thriller kind of vibe to it so I'm just going to go with it.

2. Read a book with purple on the cover - Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft by various authors

This is the group read of the Spookathon.  I've never did a group read before so this should be fun and I was planning on reading Toil & Trouble this month anyway.

3. Read a book not set in the current time period - The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

I think the beginning/prologue of this book takes place in the 1800s before the story actually starts and I don't know if it flashes back to that time period or not but I'm going to count it. 

4. Read a book with a spooky word in the title - 

Any of the three books I've chosen can be used for this challenge since they all have spooky words in them.

5. Read a book with pictures - 

I don't know if I'll complete this challenge since I don't know if any of these books have pictures in them, I suppose I'll find out when I read them.

If I do end up finishing those books I plan to read:

The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

So that is all the books I'm planning to read for the Spookathon.  Follow me my twitter for updates on my progress.  

Are you participating in the Spookathon? 

Friday Excerpts: A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe by Alex White

Today I'll be sharing some book excerpts with these bookish features:

➢ Book Beginnings is a weekly feature (hosted by Rose City Reader) where you post the first sentence of the book you're currently reading. 

➢ The Friday 56 is a weekly feature (hosted by Freda's Voice) where you get a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% on ereader) then post a interesting sentence from that page with no spoilers. 

A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe (The Salvagers book 1) by Alex White

Blurb:

Boots Elsworth was a famous treasure hunter in another life, but now she’s washed up. She makes her meager living faking salvage legends and selling them to the highest bidder, but this time she might have stumbled on something real–the story of the Harrow, a famous warship, capable of untold destruction. 

Nilah Brio is the top driver in the Pan Galactic Racing Federation and the darling of the racing world–until she witnesses the murder of a fellow racer. Framed for the murder and on the hunt to clear her name, Nilah only has one lead: the killer also hunts a woman named Boots. 

On the wrong side of the law, the two women board a smuggler’s ship that will take them on a quest for fame, for riches, and for justice.

Beginning:

CHAPTER ONE

The straight opened before the two race cars: an oily river, speckled yellow by the evening sun.  They shot down the tarmac in succession like sapphire fish, streamers of wild magic billowing from their exhausts. 

Friday 56 (between 5% and 6% on my ereader):

It had been cold-blooded to sell them the map- even Boots had to admit that.

My Thoughts:

I'm around halfway through this book and enjoying it a lot.  It's such an exciting action packed story with a lot of interesting characters.

Have you read A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe? 

What are your thoughts on the quotes from it? 

Top Ten Tuesday - Longest Books I've Ever Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.  This week's topic is: Longest Books I've Ever Read.  For this I just went to my Goodreads and sorted the books I've read by page number. 

▪ Outlander/Cross Stitch (Outlander book 1),

▪ Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander book 2),

▪ Voyager (Outlander book 3),

▪ Drums of Autumn (Outlander book 4) by Diana Gabaldon

▪ The Sweet Far Thing (Gemma Doyle book 3) by Libba Bray

▪ Winter (The Lunar Chronicles book 4) by Marissa Meyer

▪ The Well of Ascension (Mistborn book 2) by Brandon Sanderson

▪ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter book 5) by J.K. Rowling

▪ The Passage (The Passage book 1) by Justin Cronin
▪ Breaking Dawn (Twilight book 4) by Stephenie Meyer

It was really interesting to see what are the longest books I've ever read.  All of these books were over 750 pages and the Outlander books are all either near or over 1000 pages.

What are the longest books you've ever read?

Scary Book Recommendations

There are lot of great spooky books out there to read around this time of the year so I thought I'd share some of my recommendations.  These books are not very scary but most of them have a creepy atmospheric feeling to them.

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant - This book is definitely one to get your heart pumping especially towards the end.

Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children book 2) by Seanan McGuire - This is the second book in the series and I'd recommend reading the first before this one.  I was really surprised at how much of a creepier vibe this book had to in than the first in the series.   

The Creeper Man by Dawn Kurtagich - The Creeper Man is a very weird and confusing book that left me not knowing what to make of it but the chilling atmospheric feeling it gave me makes it a great book for Halloween.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova - It's been a while since I've read this book but I remember it having a mysterious scary vibe to it.

Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - This series is definitely not as scary as it looks but it still has some eerie pictures in it that would really give you chills.

Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs - This is a collection of short stories from the Miss Peregrine's world and just like the Miss Peregrines series they aren't very scary but do have a creepy edge to them.

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll - Through the Woods is a graphic novel with five different scary stories told throughout it.  It's definitely the perfect read for Halloween.

The Diviners by Libba Bray - I cannot recommend this series enough if you're looking for a brilliantly atmospheric book with amazing characters and a great well written storyline.  This series is definitely scary. 

Have you read any of these? What scary books would you recommend?

Friday Excerpts: Ice Massacre by Tiana Warner

Today I'll be sharing some book excerpts with these bookish features:

➢ Book Beginnings is a weekly feature (hosted by Rose City Reader) where you post the first sentence of the book you're currently reading. 

➢ The Friday 56 is a weekly feature (hosted by Freda's Voice) where you get a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% on ereader) then post a interesting sentence from that page with no spoilers. 

Ice Massacre (Mermaids of Eriana Kwai book 1) by Tiana Warner

Blurb:

A mermaid’s supernatural beauty serves one purpose: to lure a sailor to his death. 

The Massacre is supposed to bring peace to Eriana Kwai. Every year, the island sends its warriors to battle these hostile sea demons. Every year, the warriors fail to return. Desperate for survival, the island must decide on a new strategy. Now, the fate of Eriana Kwai lies in the hands of twenty battle-trained girls and their resistance to a mermaid’s allure. 

Eighteen-year-old Meela has already lost her brother to the Massacre, and she has lived with a secret that’s haunted her since childhood. For any hope of survival, she must overcome the demons of her past and become a ruthless mermaid killer. 

For the first time, Eriana Kwai’s Massacre warriors are female, and Meela must fight for her people’s freedom on the Pacific Ocean’s deadliest battleground.

Beginning:

CHAPTER ONE-

A mermaid hunter must be aggressive, bold, and, more importantly, nimble on her feet- because her feet are the only advantage she has over a mermaid.

That, and her iron crossbow. 

Friday 56 (page 56):

Nobody said anything as we followed the main road to the docks.  I wanted to ask questions, but something told me it was not the time.

My Thoughts:

I'm only around 30 percent through this book but I'm really liking it.  I hadn't heard much about it before but it sounded exciting and it's definitely living up to that.  Ice Massacre is about killer mermaids and is a great chilling read for this month which is why I put it on my Spooky October TBR.      

Have you read Ice Massacre? 

What are your thoughts on the quotes from it? 

Spooky October TBR

I love Halloween and I always try to read some spooky books during the month of October.

My Spooky TBR:

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft by various authors

Ice Massacre by Tiana Warner

The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich

I don't know if I'll get to all of these but hopefully I'll read at least a few of them.  Do you like to read more spooky themed books during October? Have you read any of these?